Court stays rounding up of pigs in Kancheepuram district

The Madras High Court on Wednesday granted an interim injunction restraining officials of the Madurantakam municipality in Kancheepuram district from rounding up pigs from the premises of an individual in Surakuttai.

Justice K.K. Sasidharan passed the interim order on a writ petition by S. Ganga. The petitioner said he belonged to the Kattunayakan community. As per tradition and custom, every family of the community should rear a minimum of a pair of pigs. This tradition was being followed for several years. The animals were kept in good condition and they were never allowed to stray. There were 200 families of Kattunayakan community within the municipality limits.

By a notification of August 14, the municipality insisted that those rearing pigs should obtain a licence. The petitioner said there was no provision in the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act making it mandatory for owners of pigs to possess a licence for keeping the animals in their houses.